MCLC: London book fair interrupted by protest

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: London book fair interrupted by protest
***********************************************************

Source: The Independent (4/17/12):
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/london-book-fair
-interrupted-by-protest-at-chinas-rights-abuses-7648263.html

London book fair interrupted by protest at China's rights abuses
By ADAM SHERWIN 

Beneath the lavish pavilion devoted to the Chinese publishing at the
London Book Fair, Dame Margaret Drabble is discussing the super-power's
cultural heritage to approving nods from Beijing officials.

But in a corner of the Earls Court venue, a vocal protest from dissident
writers accuses the British Council of putting profit before principles by
rolling out the red carpet for a nation which continues to persecute and
imprison authors.

This year's publishing industry showcase has extended a special invitation
to China's burgeoning book market. A delegation of 180 publishing
organisations and 20 leading authors will stage 300 events during the
three-day fair, including seminars involving leading British writers and
their Chinese counterparts.

More than 10,000 Chinese titles have been shipped over and the CEOs of
Britain's largest publishing houses have been invited to meet the
delegation's leaders, raising the prospect of Chinese media groups
investing in the UK book industry.

The daily edition of The Bookseller handed out to Book Fair attendees
provides a Chinese-language translation for phrases such as "which way to
the rights centre?" and "seven-figure advance".

But the decision to award China the headlining "market focus" status
through a partnership with the British Council, was attacked by human
rights campaigners who claim that only authors "approved" by Beijing have
been invited.

The head of the Chinese delegation, Liu Binjie, the Minister of the
General Administration for Press and Publication (Gapp), has been
described as "China's censor-in-chief" and the man responsible for the
imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Laureate-winning writer.

Smearing his face with red paint, Ma Jian, the author of Beijing Coma, a
novel about the Tiananmen Square protests, said: "No Chinese writers enjoy
freedom of speech. When you see 180 Chinese publishers here it may appear
that there is a great variety but in reality they all come from the
mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist party."

Speaking at an impromptu press conference, Jian, barred from re-entering
China after his book's publication, said: "I'm happy that the British
Council has set up a dialogue with China. But you will not hear mentions
of any of the taboo areas of Chinese history like Tiananmen Square. This
invitation dishonours the values that make Western civilisation strong."

Writer Tienchi Martin-Liao, President of the Independent Chinese PEN
Centre, which campaigns for literary freedom of expression, said: "We are
raising our voice to protest at the co-operation of the Book Fair with
Gapp, which is responsible for the imprisonment and torture of our
colleagues."

The protesters asked why no invitation had been extended to dissident
voices such as Gao Xingjian, China's Nobel Literature Laureate or Yang
Lian, the Chinese poet. The participating authors, who include the
bestselling Mo Yan, Annie Baobei, the internet sensation, and the Tibetan
writer Ah Lai, were chosen by the British Council in collaboration with
the Gapp ministry.

Susie Nicklin, the British Council's director of literature, said there
was no "approved" list of authors. "We believe that engagement is crucial
for successful cultural relations between Britain and China," she said.
"We've chosen 20 fresh, innovative writers and the seminars will give
people here the chance to learn more about these creative artists and to
engage with their country."

Although none of the writers were explicitly critical of Beijing, the Book
Fair debates, with open questions from the floor, had covered many areas
of contemporary Chinese society, Ms Nicklin said.

But Qi Jiazhen, who published The Black Wall, her personal account of 13
years in a Chinese labour camp, said: "The British Council knows full well
that China is a dictator country that deprives writers of their rights.
This invitation is shameful for Great Britain, which was once known as the
cradle of democratic freedoms and human rights."